This episode is the kind of installment I watch every week holding out for, an episode that reminds us all why we loved this show in its early days, and why we've stuck with it for so long. "Karma" may not have been epic, per se, at least not in the way we spoiled TV viewers have come to expect, but it was a solid half-hour of storytelling, and it tugged at the heartstrings while simultaneously supplying laughs, which is what any HIMYM episode worth its salt manages to do seemingly without effort.
First we addressed the whole "Barney's in love with a stripper" plot line, which is shaping up to be a lot more interesting than trite. I think after 6 seasons and change of watching Barney deceive woman after woman, it'll be a while before I grow tired of seeing one turn the tables on him for a change. I also think I might really like Quinn as a match for our Mr. Stinson following this episode, though I'm going to need a few more appearances before I can decide if I want to see her revealed as the bride in the flashforward we've been promised at season's end.
On the other front we had Robin's adventures in the suburbs with Marshall and Lily, as well as Ted struggling with various (disastrous) hobbies as he tried to fill the literal and figurative space left behind by his ex-roommate Robin. My expectations being mediocre as they were, I assumed both of these would be throwaway stories used as backdrop to Barney's story this week, but in a surprise twist these two plots managed to not only twine themselves together, they provided the dose of forward momentum this show has been sorely in need of over the past few months. Robin passed on to Ted her discovery that Marshall and Lily were not enjoying life in Long Island nearly as much as they pretended; and Ted realized that the solution to everyone's predicament was a big gesture, (thankfully) a non-romantic one this time. Turns out he never took Marshall & Lily's names off of the lease for their apartment, and he decides to remove his own so that they can move back to the city, and even decorates Robin's room for the new baby to live in instead. Cute, right? Everybody wins, except Ted because he's apparently homeless, and we all know how hard it is to find apartments in NYC.
Additional thoughts: I feel like, if Karma was using that "let's go on a date" trick with all of her customers, she would have had a host of complaints by now, and maybe even an actual manager who disliked her. Then again, it's not like I know anything about how strip club politics work. Also (and on a completely different note), shouldn't Ted be like, at least a little bit better at building things? I don't think I'd trust an architect who can't even get a table right (though I did enjoy his efforts at pottery).
Overall, this episode was a peak in a season of drastic ups and downs. At this point there's really no predicting what next week will bring.
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